Method for producing pliant creases in laundrying.



H. BECHTOLD 6L R. E. YOUNG.

METHOD FOR PBODUGING PLIANT GBEASES IN LAUNDBYING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 190e.

- 907,673. Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

/fmwl md `and journaled on a fork at the end of a car UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BECHTOLD AND ROSCOE E. YOUNG, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD vFOR PRODUCING PLIANT CREASES IN LAUNDRYING.

Original application filed November 13,

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY BnonroLD and Roscon E. YOUNG, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California, have invented a new and useful Method for ProducingPliant Greases in liaundrying, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the production of pliant creases inlaundrying, for example, in starched goods, such as collars. In sucharticles there is a tendency to rupture or splitting at the folds,particularly at the ends of l the fold.

The main object of this invention is to produce suflicient flexibilityat these parts to avoid premature breakage thereat without defacing thefinish of the article, and without unduly interfering with the stiffnessthereof.

The invention is also applicable generally to starched articles whichtend to crack at any place, as by reason of wear, for example, on cuffs,and also wherever extra flexibility is desired, as at button holes, theinvention providing for production of local flexibility at such parts.

The method consists, broadly, in subjecting starched laundryingarticles, while the starch is wet and plastic, to pressure at the part,such as a fold, which is to be rendered pliant, thereby expressingsufficient starch to reduce the stiffness when dried` and ironed andthus practically reducing the liability of cracking of the goods at thefolds, etc.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 402,030,filed Nov. 13, 1907.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus suitable for carryingout the method.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection on line x2-2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 4is a plan, and Fig. 5 a section of a part of an article showing theeifect of the method hereon. Fig. 6 is a section on line 0r6-5c in Theframe 1 of the machine, is provided with brackets 2 for supporting thetable 3 on which the article is placed and supported. Said table has acover or pad 4 of fabric or other suitable material. A pressing andwetting roll 5 having a peripheral pad or rim 6 of absorbent fabric ormaterial, is mounted to travel over this table, being carried bySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

1907, Serial No. 402,030. Divided and this application filed May 18,1908.

rier 7 Whose rear portion is mounted to slide in a block 3, mounted bytrunnions 9 on frame 1 to allow of up and down motion of the roll 5.Near its forward end the bar 7 passes through a hole 10 in a block 1lslidable vertically in guideways 12 on frame 1. The forward portion ofbar 7 which slides in block 11 is square to prevent the bar from turningand to maintain roll 5 in a vertical plane. Block 11 is held orsuspended in position by springs 13, 14, below and above the same, theupper spring 14 being adjustable, as to pressure, by screw 15.

Bar 7 is reciprocated by a crank 17 on a shaft 1S journaled in the frame1, said crank being connected to said bar by a connecting rod 19; Aloose pulley 20 on shaft 18 is operated by a belt 21 and carries aclutch member 22 which can be engaged with a clutch member 23 on theshaft, by means of an incline 24 on a controlling frame or member 25.Said controlling member has a projection or stud 26 extending through aslot 27 in frame 1 and connected or attached to a block 28 which slideson rods 29 which are attached in fixed position on frame 1, member 25being thereby guided on frame 1. Controlling member 25 has a handle 30at its forward end and is notched at 31 to be engaged by a spring catch32, see Fig. 3, which has a thumb piece or extension to enable it to bereleased from the notch. Springs 34 are attached to block 23, and to across head 35, on a rod 36 which passes through the back of frame 1 andis screw threaded to receive a nut 37 whereby the tension of the springsmay be adjusted. Bar 7 has a shoulder or projection 39 which is engagedby the block 23 when the latter is retracted by the springs 34, to drawthe bar to retracted position.

Means are provided for moistening or wetting the presser roll 5, saidmeans comprising a Water tank 40, and rolls 41 42 for delivering watertherefrom to roll 5, said rolls 41, 42 being faced or covered withabsorbent padding 43 to carry the Water. .Roll 41 is journaled in frame1, and the supporting springs 13, 14 for the roll 5 are so adjusted thatwhen the roll 5 is in retracted position said roll will rest on the roll41. Roll 42 is journaled in bearings and is slidable vertically inguideways 44, and pulled upward by springs 45 so that roll 42 alwaysbears on roll 41. Water tank 40 has inclines 46 engaging with inclines47 on the base of frame 1, so that by pushing the tank rearwardly, toposition shown in dotted lines in lig. 2, it is raised to bring thewater therein in contact with roll 42. Roll 41. is continuously rotatedfrom driving pulley 2O through belt 48 running over said pulley and overa pulley 49 on the shaft of roll 41. 'Ihe resulting continuous rotationof rolls 4], 42 causes water to be drawn from tank 40 when the latter israised, and to be distributed over roll 41, and when the roll 5 is inretracted position, shown in lig. 1, the roll 5 takes up moisture fromroll 41. Tank 40 is supplied with water from a receiver 53, through aflexible tube 54, a iioat operated valve 55 being providedto maintain adefinite level of water in the tank.

In the method of operation as carried out according to this invention,the article to be operated on is starched and while the starch is stillwet and plastic, said article, for eX- ample, a collar, indicated at 50in Figs. 4 and 5, is subjected to pressure at the place 51 or placeswhere extra flexibility is desired. By such pressure, the starch issqueezed out and partially removed from such places, so that when thearticle is dried and ironed these places will contain less starch andwill be less stiff than the body of the article. Simultaneously with thepressure, we may apply water to the compressed place so that the starchwhich remains thereat is diluted, thereby further decreasing thestiffness at such places when the article is dried and ironed. Thismethod is carried out in the above described machine as follows z-Thearticle 50, for example a collar, is, after starching and while stillwet, placed on the pad 4 of table 3, with the portion of the collar thatis to be rendered pliable, in the path of roll 5. By then pulling handle30, controlling member 25 is drawn forward, causing incline 24 thereonto press pulley 20 into position to cause engagement of the clutchmembers and enabling the pulley 20 to rotate the shaft 18. Such rotationof shaft 18 causes reciprocation of bar 7 with the roll 5 carriedthereby between the portions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1,and causes said roll to traverse a portion of the article 50, and topress out the starch therefrom and serve as a destarching means. The

presser roll is narrow, so that the starch can be pressed out laterallyfrom the destarching line. A portion of the starch is taken up by theabsorbent pressure applying portion 6 of the presser roll. rl`he roll 5being kept wet by the water supply means described, it applies water tothe place pressed by roll 5 and dilutes the starch thereat. Thisapplication of water to the destarching presser means also keeps saidmeans clean or prevent it from clogging with starch, and removes starchtherefrom at each contact. Similarly Ythe roll 42 keeps the roll 41clean and itself cleaned at each wetting operation, by contact with thewater in tank 40. On the subsequent drying and ironing of the collarthis portion thereof remains relatively flexible. hen the operator hasfinished work, the member 33 is pressed to release bar 25, which isretracted by springs 34 releasing the driving clutch for shaft 18, andin such movement of bar 25 the block 28 strikes the projection 39 on bar7 to return said bar to fully retracted position, if it has not alreadybeen moved to such position by the driving shaft. The pressure of thepresser roll5 on the article can be adjusted by means of screw 15.

The destarching operation, in case of awing tip collar, is applied tothe fold of the wing'tips. ln the case of a turn down collar it isapplied to the ends only of the seam or fold line, as shown in Fig. 4,those being the parts most subject to rupture, the entire seam linebeing moistened in usual manner by the usual seam moistener, in asubsequent operation, or if desired the above process may be applied tothe entire fold. The operation is also applicable in any part of astarched article, such as a cuff, which is weak or liable to crack.

After the above described destarching operation along the line of thecrease, the article is dried and ironed in the usual manner and therelatively small quantity of starch along the line of the crease enablesthe article to be folded along each crease in ironing, withcomparatively littleY liability of cracking or breaking of the cloth atthe fold.

The apparatus above described is not claimed herein as it forms thesubject of above named application of which the present application is adivision.

The dilution and partial removal of the starch at the folding line orpoint is performed while the article is in the wet state and it ispreferred to remove only such amount of the starch at the folding lineas will produce pliability at this point, leaving sufficient starch atthis point so that after the article has been dried and ironed thefinish at the point will be perfect and the appearance such that thereis no indication of the removal of starch except as it may be determinedby the existence of pliability at this point.

Vlhat we claim is 1. The method of rendering a portion of a starchedlaundry article pliable, which consists in removing starch from suchportion and simultaneously applying water thereto, before the starch hasbeen dried.

2. The method of producing a pliant crease in a starched laundryarticle, which consists in subjecting the article, while the starch isin a wet, plastic condition, to pressure along the line of the crease,thereby expressing a portion of the starch therefrom, applying Wateralong the line of the crease and subsequently drying and ironing thearticle.

. 3. The method of rendering pliant a portion of a starched laundryarticle, Which consists in subjecting the article to pressure of anabsorbent medium, While the starch is in a Wet, plastic condition,thereby removing starch from the article at the place of application ofthe pressure, and applying Water to the absorbent medium.

4. The method of rendering pliant a portion of a starched laundryarticle Which consists in subjecting the article to pressure of anabsorbent medium, While the starch is in a Wet, plastic condition,thereby removing starch from the article at the place of application ofthe pressure, and removing the starch Jfrom the absorbent medium.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at Los AngelesCalifornia 20 this 12th day of May 1908.

HARRY BECHTOLD. ROSCOE E. YOUNG. In presence of- GEORGE T. HACKLEY,FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

